Timepiece

ABSTRACT

A timepiece for indicating two time zones in which a first indicator designates a reference zone and an hours indicator designates a second zone. Movement of both indicators is synchronized so that the second indicator permanently designates the difference between the two zones.

United States Patent [191 Schwaar et a1.

TIMEPIECE Inventors: Edouard Schwaar, Bienne; Andre Paroz, Brugg, both of Switzerland Assignee: Tavre Marc & Co. S.A., Bienne,

Switzerland Filed: Nov. 12, 1973 Appl. No.: 414,859

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 17, 1972 Switzerland 16757/72 US. Cl. 58/425, 58/855 Int. Cl. G04b 19/22, G04b 19/27 Field of Search 58/425, 43, 85.5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1948 Guilden 58/43 1 Mar. 18, 1975 2,777,281 l/1957 Berry ..58/42.5 3,279,165 10/1966 Burg ..58/425 Primary Examiner-Edith Simmons Jackmon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Silverman & Cass, Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT A timepiece for indicating two time zones in which a first indicator designates a reference zone and an hours indicator designates a second zone. Movement of both indicators is synchronized so that the second indicator permanently designates the difference between the two zones.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAT JEUimmamrs SHEETIEIFZ PATENTEDHARI 8!.975

sum 2 ar 2 FIG. 4

1 TIMEPIECE The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising at least an hours indicator capable of being step by step by means of a control mechanism operated manually.

Such timepieces are known. Generally, they comprise two hours indicators, one of which only is capable of being moved manually step by step. The user operates this one indicator, when he is travelling, so as to correct the differences due to the changes of timezones; in this manner the indicator is operable step by step to indicate the local time and the other indicator indicates the time of the initial time-zone.

However, prior art timepieces have the drawback that they comprise two hours hands while only one of the hands is used daily; moreover, when the user is travelling, confusions between the indications given the two hands can occur.

The object of the present invention is to prevent these drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this effect, the timepiece according to the present invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises an indicator of the rank of the time-zone with respect to a time-zone of reference on which is set the said hours indicator, the rank indicator being also submitted to the action of the said control mechanism so that its displacements are synchronized with those of the hours indicator, when the latter indicator is operated manually by means of the said mechanism, and that, consequently. the rank indicates permanently the difference between the time indicated by the hours indicator and the time of the time-zone of reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawings show, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a wrist-watch, in which only the elements necessary to the understand ing of the invention have been represented.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a detail thereof, in another position of the control mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, divided in two parts 3a and 3b, along the broken line lIIlII of FIG. 1, at a slightly larger scale, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the broken line lV-IV of FIG. 1, also at a slightly larger scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The watch as represented comprises, in addition to the ordinary hour wheel 1, in meshed arrangement with the pinion 2 ofthe dial train the wheel 3, a supplementary hour wheel 4, the sleeve 4a of which bears the hours hand 5, is engaged in the sleeve la of the ordinary hour whe'el l.

The hour wheel 1 carries, secured by means not shown, a wire spring 6 acting radially on a roller 7, radially guided in an elongated aperture 8 of this wheel 1, for urging the wheel into the toothing of a star wheel 9. The star wheel 9 has 12 teeth, and is forecefit on the sleeve 4a of the supplementary hour wheel 4.

The above-described arrangement is such that the supplementary hour wheel 4 follows the ordinary hour wheel 1 when the ordinary hour wheel is normally driven by the movement; whereas. if the supplementary hour wheel 4 is driven directly, by means of a manual control mechanism described below, the wheel 4 can move step by step, in a quantity corresponding to 1 hour for each step, without driving the hour wheel I. When wheel 4 is driven directly, the roller 7 acts as a 10 jumper and jumps on the teeth of the star-wheel 9.

The watch represented comprises additionally an annular disc 10 which indicates zone-times. The disc 10 is secured to a crown 11 provided with an inner toothing 11a the toothing, 11a serves to drive the crown 11, step by step, by the action ofa wheel 12 (FIG. 1, 2 and 4) which is rigidly secured to a disc 13 carrying three driving pins 14 arranged at 120 one from the other. The pins 14 engage toothing 11a. The arrangement is such that there are always two pins 14 which are in meshed engagement with the said toothing, so that the crown 11 is thus locked when it is not driven. The wheel 12 is driven by a manual control mechanism described below.

The annular disc 10 is divided into 24 subdivisions and carries a double scale 15 as shown in FIG. 1 and 2. Each ofthese scales l5 ranges from to l2, the data 0 and 12 being common to both scales; the other data of one of these scales are provided with the sign designated by 16 while the data of the other scale are provided with the sign designated by 17. The data of these scales appear successively through a window 18, represented in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1, provided in the dial.

The manual control mechanism of the represented watch comprises a radial stem 19 capably of occupying three different axial positions, one of which is pushed, in which the stem is inoperative in the case of an electric watch or in which it permits winding of the watch in the case ofa mechanical spring watch. In another position of the stem, which is intermediate, the stem is permitted to act on the hours hand only, for driving the hours hand step by step, as well as on the indicator of the time-zones -11, also for driving the indicator step by step. In the third position of the stem, pulled, the stem is permitted to act on the hours and minutes hands, (the minutes hand is not shown) for driving them simultaneously and thus permitting the setting of the watch.

The stem 19 carries a sliding pinion 20 having a groove 21 in which is engaged the arm 22a of a rocking lever 22 articulated at 23 on the frame of the movement and which is submitted to the action of a return spring 24; this lever 22 carries a pinion 25. A trigger 26, articulated at 27, on the frame ofthe movement, is provided with a stud 26a engaged in a groove 28 of the stem 19 (FIG. 3b). This trigger 26 acts on the extremity 22!), which has the shape of a peen, of the arm 22a, for producing the displacements of the lever 22. There results therefrom that the pinion remains permanently meshed with the contrate toothing 20a, of the sliding pinion 20, since this pinion 25 moves together with the sliding pinion.

The trigger 26 carries a pin 29 engaged in an elongated aperture 30 provided in a rocking lever 31 articulated at 32 on the frame of the movement. This lever 31 acts, either directly or by the intermediary of a counter rocking lever 33 articulated at 34 on the frame of the movement, on a rocking lever 35 articulated at 36, that is to say coaxially to the wheel 12 on the frame. This lever 35 carriestwo wheels 37 and 38 permanently meshing with one another.

In the intermediary position of the stem 19, represented in the drawing, the lever 35 occupies a position in which its wheel 37 is meshed with the supplementary hour wheel 4 while its wheel 38 is meshed with a counter pinion 39 which is itself permanently meshed with the pinion 25. In this position of the stem 19, the operation of this stem permits operation simultaneously. of the supplementary hour wheel 4 and, consequently, the hours hand 5 and the indicating member of the time-zones -11. There results therefrom that the position of the hand 5 with respect to a time-zone of reference, for instance the time-zone of the place where the user of the watch lives, is permanently indicated by the data of the scale appearing in the window 18. Thus the user can, when he is travelling, correct his watch even before arrival at the new location: it is sufficient therefore to read on its schedule the numeral of the time-zone of the place where the user is going and thus to move the hand 5, and simultaneously the indicator 10-11, until the corresponding data of this indicator appears in the window 8, in the case, obviously. where the time-zone of reference is the timezone of Greenwich. For other locations, the user will have to substract from or add to the data read in his schedule the rank of the time-zone in which he generally lives and which constitutes the time-zone of reference. The user can also, once his watch is corrected, and when he is sojourning in a foreign country, read the time of theplace where he is without any possible confusion, since the watch comprises only one hours hand. The user will know easily the time of the time-zone of origin by adding orby substracting to the time he reads the data appearing in the window 18.

When the stem 7 is pushed, in its normal position, the lever 35 occupies. under the effect of the counter lever 33, the position represented in FIG. 2, in which its wheel 38 is disengaged from the counter pinion 39, so that an operation of the stem 19 remains then without effect. It is to be noted that, in this position of the lever 35, its wheel 37 is disengaged from the supplementary hour wheel 4, so that this wheel 37 is thus not driven when the wheel 4 is itself driven normally by the gearing of the movement. At last, in the pulled position of the stem 19, the lever 35 occupies the same position as in the pushed position, but under the direct effect of the lever 31. Thus, when the stem 19 is operated, neither the supplementary hour wheel 4, nor the indicator of the time-zones are driven. On the contrary, in this pulled position of the stem 19, the pinion 35 of the lever 22 is meshed with the wheel 3 of the dial-train so that, in this position, the operation of the stem 19 permits setting of the watch, thus driving simultaneously the two hands, of hours and of minutes.

What we claim is:

l. A time piece comprising, at least an hours indicator adapted to be moved step by step by a manually operable control mechanism, an indicator of the rank of a time-zone with respect to a reference time-zone, the rank indicator also being controlled by said control mechanism such that the displacements of the rank indicator are synchronized with those of the hours indicator when the hours indicator is operated manually by means of said mechanism, the control mechanism including a control stem moveable between several axis positions, in one of said positions the stem is adapted to operate the hours indicator and the rank indicator, whereby the rank indicator permanently indicates the difference between the time indicated by the hours indicator and the time of the reference time-2one.

2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which the rank indicator includes a disc provided with graduated data divided into 24 subdivisions numbered from 0 to 12 in one sense and from 0 to 12 in the opposite sense, one set of 12 subdivisions being designated with a positive sign and the other set being designated with a negative sign..

3. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which said control mechanism includes a rocking lever, the rocking lever being controlled by a trigger and being moveable between at least two positions corresponding to the positions of the stem, said trigger being operable by the stem, said lever carrying a wheel adapted for alternate meshed engagement with a driving wheel for said hours indicator or with said rank indicator dependent upon the position of the stem.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENTNO: 3,871,169 DATED March 18, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Edouard Schwaar and Andre Paroz It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover page, read the assignment data line as follows:

[73] Assignee: Marc Favre & Co. S .A

Bienne. Switzerland Signed and Scaled this A ttes r:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (mnmissi'unur nfPurents and Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3, 871, 169 DATED March 8, 1975 |NVENTOR(S) Edouard Schwaar and Andre Paroz it is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover page, read the assignment data line as follows:

Signed and Sealed this twenty-ninth D3) of July 1975 [SEAL] A ttes l:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN tlresrr'ng Officer (mnmissimzcr uj'ParenIs and Trademarks 

1. A time piece comprising, at least an hours indicator adapted to be moved step by step by a manually operable control mechanism, an indicator of the rank of a time-zone with respect to a reference time-zone, the rank indicator also being controlled by said control mechanism such that the displacements of the rank indicator are synchronized with those of the hours indicator when the hours indicator is operated manually by means of said mechanism, the control mechanism including a control stem moveable between several axis positions, in one of said positions the stem is adapted to operate the hours indicator and the rank indicator, whereby the rank indicator permanently indicates the difference between the time indicated by the hours indicator and the time of the reference time-zone.
 2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which the rank indicator includes a disc provided with graduated data divided into 24 subdivisions numbered from 0 to 12 in one sense and from 0 to 12 in the opposite sense, one set of 12 subdivisions being designated with a positive sign and the other set being designated with a negative sign.
 3. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 in which said control mechanism includes a rocking lever, the rocking lever being controlled by a trigger and being moveable between at least two positions corresponding to the positions of the stem, said trigger being operable by the stem, said lever carrying a wheel adapted for alternate meshed engagement with a driving wheel for said hours indicator or with said rank indicator dependent upon the position of the stem. 